Ellie & I visited ICCO Pizza earlier today and we enjoyed our meal. Founded in Camden Town, North London, in 1999, the family-owned and -operated pizza place opened their Fitzrovia outlet in Goodge Street (corner Charlotte Street) a few years later. ICCO stands for The Italian Coffee Company, and the two restaurants plus a further three delivery outlets in the suburbs are the only business the Company runs.
THE BIG LONDON PIZZA DROUGHT OF 2020 TO 2024
Over the past few years, we’ve seen many of our favourite pizza places close down (like IPC and Guste Remo in Bayswater) or go a bit downhill (like Sicily in Belgravia or Forno Pizza in Lambeth). Others charge insane amounts of money for a 12-inch (like 50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo near Trafalgar Square, where a bit of flat, oven-baked dough with sparse toppings can set you back £16 or more). We’ve tried out at least another dozen for home delivery during the past twelve months, but not one of them impressed us. In essence, we’ve been suffering from a severe pizza drought.
A FAVOURITE AMONGST LOCAL YOUNG FOLK
Interestingly, Ellie remembers enjoying a slice or two at ICCO Pizza with friends, more than 15 years ago, before we met. I had walked past by their premises on many occasions, but had always been put off by the cheap and super-basic interior and the fact that most customers seem to be students in their late teens and early twenties, who are not exactly known for their sophisticated palates.
ONE PEPPERONI AND ONE CAPRICCIOSA
Today we found ourselves half-starved in Fitzrovia with little time to spare, so we entered the premises, walked to the counter, and ordered one regular 12” Pepperoni for £7, as well as one 12” Capricciosa (ham, mushrooms, black olives) for £8.50 with extra Emmental and Mozzarella cheese (£1.70 each) and extra pepperoni (£1.95). Service at the counter was very friendly and helpful.
VERY SHORT WAIT
When we visited, there were only a dozen other guests present. But during peak hours, the restaurant can produce 24 pizzas every five minutes in their two twin ovens. After a mere 8 or 9 minutes’ wait, the buzzer we had been given when we paid, went off and I picked up the two pizzas from the counter. One of the cheerful staff members made sure that I picked up the right ones. The goods are being served on proper pizza plates, unless you order takeaway.
A DELICIOUS PRODUCT FOR AN UNBEATABLE PRICE
In hindsight, one extra portion of cheese probably would have done the job for me. Two extra portions smothered all other ingredients and the lovely thin crust beneath them. My bad. Ellie, on the other hand, felt that she could’ve done with one extra cheese topping, even though we both agreed that the amount of cheese on hers was probably what you would expect in the dish’s motherland, Italy. That said, Ellie & I very much enjoyed the taste and texture of both pizzas.
THE BEST PIZZA IN LONDON?
Was it the best pizza we’ve had in London? Certainly not. Even during the current pizza drought, there are still a few places with better pizza around, such as above-mentioned 50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo or the Yellow House in Bermondsey. However, for the price we paid, I’ll have to give ICCO Pizza a 5 out of 5. We’ll definitely be back soon and also order them via Deliveroo every now and then.
For more London restaurant reviews, try my write-ups about RAI in Bloomsbury, Hot Stone in Angel, Dean Street Town House in Soho, three-starred (tw0-starred when we visited) Helene Darroze at the Connaught in Mayfair, one-starred Galvin La Chapelle in Spitalfields/Shoreditch, and the one-starred Ninth, further down Charlotte Street, a stone’s throw away. Equally, feel welcome to catch up on my recent participation in the Northwest Passage Expedition.
